Ironing machine



June 23, 1931. 1-1. A. w. HOWCOTT 1,811,793

IRONING MACHINE Ffiled Nov. 10. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO R N EY June 23, 1931. H. A. w. Howco'rT 1,311,793

IRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z9 I M, 5 I

INVENTOR WITNESS I flarZe A. 71 flawwizf ATTORN EY WWI/1M v60.

June 23, 1%31. H, w, HQWQQTT' 1&31393 IRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 m INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented June 23, 1931 HARLEY A. w. nowoo'r'r, or vnw ORLEANS, LOUISIANA nonnve maonrlvn Application filed November 10, 1928.

This invention relates to ironing machines and more particularly to the type in which an iron is movable over a table designed to have I the clothing to be ironed supported thereon and the table being movable relatively to the iron to position them in cooperating relation to meet the requirements of the user. 7

A primary object of the invention is to provide a power operated iron so mounted and actuated that it will have oscillatory or reciprocatory movement to adapt it to be moved backwards and forwards over the clothing to be ironed.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the board or clothes supporting table that it will be properly positioned for use in connection with the fiat iron and which may be rotated horizontally and also reciprocated to position it in the desired relation .to the 23 iron. V

I In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the as claimed invention; there being shown in .the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, in which:

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a perspective view of 3Q an ironing machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section showing the connection of the fiat iron with its ac;

tuating means;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section through a portion of the board showing one of the clothes holding clamps and its mounting, the clamp being in section; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a steam turbine used for supplying the motive power for the iron.

In the embodiment'illustrated a shelf or stand 1 is shown mounted on a suitable frame Serial No. 318,398.

.end of a driving rod 13. This driving rod 13 ispivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the front edge of the board 1 as shown at 15.

This .driving rod 13 is actuated by thecrank shaft 12 which imparts an oscillatory movement thereto.

A fiat iron 20 is connected by an electric .wire16 with an electric circuit for supplying 0 7 current to the iron and has extending upwardly from the top thereof a hollow sleeve 21 into which fits the driving rod 13 allowing an easy upward and downward movement of p the rod 13 as it is worked sidewise bythe crank 7 shaft 12 and motor '10. The tubular rod or sleeve 21 is pivotally connected at its lower end with the upper face of the iron 20 as shown at 22. V

Mounted for cooperation with the iron 20 is an ironing board 23 over which the iron 20 is designed to pass. This board 23 is rotatably mounted on a cylindrical supporting stand 24, any suitable connecting means for I the'board 23 and the stand24 beingv provided which will permit the board to rotate horizontally on the stand. The means here shown (Fig. 3) comprisea bolt 23a with its headcountersunk in the board 23and its body 7 portion extended through the board 23 and' through a boss 24a formedon the vu er face of the stand 24 and this bolt is provided with anut 24b for holding the parts assembled. The boss 24a operates as a spacer for'the stand 24 and the board 23. 1

The board 23 is provided with a plurality of laterally extending hand grips 25 projectfrom the edges thereof at its opposite sides and ends and :by means .of

.Which the board may be manipulated. i

A plurality of clothes clamps 26 are mounted on the board to hold the clothing to be ironed engaged therewith. Four of these clamps are here shown, each of which is adjustably mounted on a rod 27 positioned over the board 23. These clamps 26 are made in the form of weights or blocks 28 movably mounted on shanks or rods 29 around which is placed a coil spring 30 hearing at one end against the weight 28 and at its other end against the laterally extending head 31 and which exerts its pressure to hold the weight tightly clamped against the board 23 so that when the clothing is placed between these elements it will he held against movement as the iron passes over them. A thun'ib screw 32 extends through the head iii which slides on the rod 21' and which is designed for clamping said head in adjusted position on the rod to prevent the clamp from moving after it has been adjusted.

The circular hollow stand 24 has a hinged door 17 to afford access to its interior to permit clothing or other articles to be stored or placed therein, it being especially designed to hold rough dry clothing, although obviously it may be used for other purposes.

This stand 2i has depending legs 18 and grooved wheels 19 supporting them and which are designed to travel on the tracks 5 and (3 as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 for reciprocating the board.

while the power and heat for the iron 20 is herein shown in the form of an electric mtor 10 obviously a steam turbine or engine may be substiuted found desirable to do so.

in t it. form shown in Fig. steam is used instead of electricity, a steam engine or turbine a being substituted 'for the motor 10 from which a flexible hose 16a extends to and is connected with the iron a for conveying steam to the iron for heating it. A suitable valve or stop cock 16b is placed in the pipe 10a or at any other desired suitable point for regulating the steam supplied to the iron.

The same reference numerals are used on this figure as on the other figures except that the exponent a is used.

In the use of this ironing machine after the iron 20 has been heated to the desired temperature the clothing to be ironed is clamped on the board 23 by the clamps 26 and the motor is set in operation to reciprocate or oscillate the iron 20 in a manner above described. The ironing board 23 may be turned horizontally by means of the handles so as to expose the various parts of the clothing to be ironed to the fiat iron 20. The stand may also be moved on the tracks l and 5 to vary the position of the clothing in relation to the iron.

It is of course understood that the iron 20 may be of any desired configuration, the preferred form being square as herein shown.

This machine while comparatively. simple in construction is very efi'ective in operation and may be so manipulated as to pass the iron over all parts of the articles to be ironed.

lVithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be un derstood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine, a supporting structure, power supply means having a rank shaft, a sad iron, a tube pivotally connected with the upper face of said iron, a driving shait inserted in said tube and pivotally mounted on said structure and having a slot extending longitudinally of said shaft through which said crank shaft passes to impart oscillatory motion to said iron.

2. In an ironing machine, a supporting structure, a table mounted on said structure, a track carried by said structure, a stand mounted to travel on said track, a board mounted on said stand and adapted to rotate horizontally thereon, said board being supported in a plane below the table, an iron mounted to travel over said board, actuating means for said iron mounted on said table, and a connection between said actuating means and iron for imparting an oscillatory movement to the iron and to permit it to be raised and lowered relatively to the board.

3. In an ironing machine, a supporting structure, a board mounted on said structure, clothes clamps mounted on said board and comprising vertically movable spring pressed blocks adapted to clamp the clothes between them and the board, and means whereby said clamps may be adjusted to position them in diil'erent places on the board.

HARLEY A. W. I'IOWVCOTT. 

